Chapter 274: An Unexpected Proposal (1)

Chapter 274: An Unexpected Proposal (1)

“Hmm…”

Takashi furrowed his brows.

The choice of dungeon to enter with Kang-hoo was almost finalized.

Now, they just had to pick one of the two: a two-person dungeon or a four-person dungeon.

In reality, these were classified as four-person and eight-person dungeons, respectively.

However, considering their judgment and skills, they had generously (?) halved the difficulty for themselves.

“We originally planned to go in as a duo… but somehow, going in as a group of four sounds like it’d be fun.”

Takashi tossed a handful of potato chips into his mouth as he examined the dungeon information with interest.

Was this what people called a happy dilemma? Both options seemed fun, but he had to choose one.

His mind was increasingly leaning toward the four-person dungeon. This dungeon had many unpredictable variables and required constant pattern analysis.

For an average hunter, it would be like willingly walking into a living hell. But for Takashi, with his bizarre preferences, it was perfect.

You know those people who always choose Hell Mode or Hard Mode in games? That was exactly the kind of person he was.

“So, that means with Yu Cheonghwa and Emilia too? Wow, that makes it Korea, China, Japan, and France? The participant nationalities are insane.”

Like an excited child, Takashi couldn’t sit still, his hips bouncing on the chair.

This was his chance to show Yu Cheonghwa and Emilia that he wasn’t the only one who believed in the “Omnipattern Theory.”

Those two always told him that there couldn’t possibly be another weirdo obsessed with such a bizarre theory.

Every time, Takashi felt a strange sense of loneliness.

It wasn’t that he was upset with them—he just regretted not having friends who would passionately debate dungeon strategies with him.

Then, like a gift from the heavens, Kang-hoo had appeared.

Their personalities were completely different, but their approach to dungeons was the same. Takashi liked that about Kang-hoo.

So, this was his chance to properly introduce him to Yu Cheonghwa and Emilia—and to prove that he wasn’t the only lunatic (?) out there.

“Ultimately, Kang-hoo’s opinion matters the most. We can’t just proceed recklessly.”

In this dungeon conquest, neither Yu Cheonghwa nor Emilia was the key member—it was Kang-hoo.

If they had to switch to a two-person strategy, Kang-hoo would be the top priority.

That was why Takashi intended to get his agreement first.

“Ah, this is gonna be so fun. How should I strategize? How is the dungeon gonna mess with us? Kukuku!”

Takashi was now even bouncing up and down on his chair. He was like a hyperactive kid.

“But where’s my phone?”

Only then did Takashi start looking for his smartphone, which had been buried somewhere under his bed all day.

He usually didn’t have anyone to contact, and the TakiFam had been busy lately…

So, he picked up his smartphone, which had essentially become an expensive clock, and sent a message to Kang-hoo.

Meanwhile, after finishing his preparations and exiting the dungeon, Kang-hoo tilted his head in confusion as he saw the administrator staring at him with a bewildered expression.

The administrator had clearly not expected Kang-hoo and Ayane to finish at this hour—he had been in the middle of setting up a portable cot.

“Huh? Oh? Uh… you’re already finished?”

“Yes. As you can see.”

“Ahh… Well, Lars Abel said he would be here around 8 PM and left his post.”

Checking the time at the administrator’s words, Kang-hoo saw that it had just passed noon.

It seemed that even by Lars’ calculations, the dungeon run should have taken at least eight more hours.

Kang-hoo silently stared at the administrator as if asking, ‘So, what are you going to do now?’

The administrator let out a startled “Ah!” and hastily called Lars.

As the call connected—

Ayane, standing beside him, grinned and nudged Kang-hoo in the side.

“Looks like they thought we’d take a lot longer! Well, we did finish pretty fast, huh? Feels great.”

“Yeah. We cut down a lot of time. We never even stopped once at Clown Zone 5 or 4, which were supposed to take the longest.”

“Right? Even when I replay it in my head, that was a perfectly clean run.”

She beamed with satisfaction.

Every moment of perfect synchronization with Kang-hoo was fresh in her mind, making the entire process vividly memorable.

It was a shame they hadn’t recorded it. This would have been a strategy worth rewatching.

At that moment, the administrator, following Lars’ instructions, handed his smartphone to Kang-hoo.

“Lars wants to speak with you directly.”

“This is Shin Kang-hoo.”

Kang-hoo held the phone to his ear.

Immediately, Lars’ voice came through. He sounded quite flustered.

-You’ve already completed the dungeon? I can’t believe it. Even when I said I’d arrive at night, I had accounted for a record-breaking run.

“It all worked out well.”

Should he go into self-congratulatory mode or remain humble? He opted for the latter.

Lars’ voice already carried a sense of admiration.

There was no need to exaggerate—Lars would build him up in his own mind anyway.

Wasn’t it obvious?

Kang-hoo had finished eight hours ahead of the time Lars had calculated, even with record-breaking expectations.

That alone was enough to make him stand out from the mercenaries Lars had hired in the past.

-I’ll head over right away. It should take me about an hour—would that be alright?

“I’m fine with it. Ayane, what do you think?”

“Me? I’m good too. Hey, do you guys have coffee or cookies here? As long as I have something to snack on, I’m fine.”

“Oh, we do. Don’t worry.”

“Ayane says she’s fine, too. We’ll wait.”

-Understood. Since I should personally collect the extract and handle the payment, I’ll be there as soon as possible.

“We’ll see you soon, then.”

The call ended.

One hour wasn’t a long wait, and it was a perfect opportunity to recover stamina.

So, Ayane enjoyed an unexpected tea time in front of the dungeon, pairing well-baked cookies with coffee.

Meanwhile, Kang-hoo was receiving a call from Takashi via Huntergram.

After replying to a message asking if he was available, a call came through immediately.

“Yeah, Takashi.”

-Kang-hoo! We’re at the final decision stage for the dungeon. But I need your approval on something!

“Are you going with an old man voice changer today? Your hoarse voice is making it hard to understand you.”

-Ah… hold on. Then I’ll switch to a kid’s voice.

It felt chaotic as always, but that was part of Takashi’s charm, so Kang-hoo quietly waited.

Soon, Takashi switched to a voice that sounded like a seven-year-old boy and repeated the same message. Kang-hoo processed it clearly this time.

“What exactly do I need to approve?”

-I’m thinking of inviting two more people. I can vouch for both their skills and trustworthiness.

“Who are they?”

As Kang-hoo asked, a few candidates popped into his mind.

For Takashi to guarantee both skill and trust, the hunters had to come from his limited network.

That meant one of two possibilities.

Either they were from The Thirteen Stars, or they were from TakiFam. There was no third option.

-Their names are Yu Cheonghwa and Emilia. A Chinese and a French hunter. Their combat power is top-notch, no doubt about it. They do tend to be a bit lazy when it comes to pattern analysis, though.

“……”

For a moment, Kang-hoo was speechless.

Was this all a butterfly effect created by his connection with Takashi?

Lately, Kang-hoo had been thinking about forming a connection with those two.

He had just been wondering how to approach them naturally, planning the best way to go about it.

But now, Takashi had effortlessly set the stage. This gave a solid reason for the meeting.

There would be no awkwardness, and since Kang-hoo hadn’t personally arranged the gathering, he wouldn’t have to take a passive stance.

More importantly, he already had prior interactions with both of them. They would also recognize him.

‘There’s no reason to refuse.’

This setup was perfect.

Even if Jang Si-hwan later found out that Takashi, Yu Cheonghwa, and Emilia had teamed up, it wouldn’t matter.

After all, Takashi was the one who had set this up.

Since Kang-hoo was being “invited” into Takashi’s strategy, justifying his involvement would be incredibly easy.

-Kang-hoo? Hello?

“Ah, I was just checking my schedule. Well, I’d always prefer teaming up with skilled hunters I can learn from. I’m in. I’m more curious about what they think.”

-Don’t worry. As long as I spoon-feed them the strategy, they’re happy to follow along.

What Takashi meant was that as long as he handled the pattern analysis, they would provide overwhelming firepower.

In other words, as long as they didn’t have to think too much, they enjoyed dungeon runs.

Even in the original storyline—

Yu Cheonghwa and Emilia were some of Takashi’s closest comrades.

In terms of friendship and connection, they were even closer to him than Jang Si-hwan or Chae Gwanhyeong.

‘This is how the pieces fall into place.’

The setup was perfect.

Kang-hoo was about to meet his top three recruitment priorities all at once.

“Alright. Just confirm the schedule, and I’ll be there. This will take a few more days, right?”

-Yeah. We have to coordinate with Yu Cheonghwa and Emilia’s schedules, too. But you’ll be the priority. Just let me know what works best for you.

“Got it. See you soon.”

-Yaaah! This is gonna be fun! I can already feel my body itching for action!

“Take a shower.”

-Puhaha! Yeah, yeah, hygiene first… I’ll be in touch soon!

The call ended.

Kang-hoo stood still for a long moment, smartphone in hand.

This was a golden opportunity.

Of course, meeting someone a couple of times wouldn’t instantly build trust or shift their beliefs.

He would need to invest as much time and effort into them as he had with Takashi.

‘It won’t be easy.’

Still, just taking this first step was a win for Kang-hoo.

There was a world of difference between never getting the chance and at least attempting it.

‘Yu Cheonghwa and Emilia don’t have deep emotional ties to Jang Si-hwan.’

Unlike Chae Gwanhyeong or Casey Rex, who saw Jang Si-hwan as a shared destiny, those two didn’t.

They still had a strong sense of business partnership and prioritized their own benefits.

If he could identify any hidden doubts or conflicts within them…

Then there might be a real chance to pull all three of them out of The Thirteen Stars.

This could be the start of something big. His heart pounded uncontrollably.

The worst possible future—where he ended up as Jang Si-hwan’s lackey.

A future drowned in darkness.

But now, he had the chance to overlay it with a filter of light.